While it was more ideal to leave for Ayutthaya from Bangkok in the morning, we only boarded the train for Ayutthaya in the early afternoon since we had plans in the morning. I’ve always wanted to pay a visit to Ayutthaya especially visiting all of the historical monuments and temples that were there. Also, being Siam’s old capital city, I was pretty curious to see what it looked like. It just so happens that the city was the hometown of a friend as well.

There were a number of options of getting there; prebook a taxi, board a bus, or board a train. We decided on the train since it was the more “adventurous and scenic” route. There were a number of train classes and timings that we could choose from. We bought the regular train tickets in the regular class cabin which was about $3 both ways. The journey would take about 1.5-2 hours.

As we arrived in Ayutthaya, there were a number of tuk-tuk drivers quoting their prices for taking us to different temples and historical sites for the day. Without hesitation we just hired one for about $30 which was quite reasonable to me. Anyway, we arrived a little later in the day so we had to rush to the different locations before it got dark, and we also had to catch the sunset.

Wat Yai Chaimongkol

The first stop was Wat Yai Chaimongkol. This temple was built in 1357, and further expansions such as the pagoda that you see as you enter was built in 1592. It was a really impressive temple as you can see Buddhas lining the outer walls, surrounding the huge pagoda in the middle. At the top of the pagoda, you’ll be able to have a nice view of Ayutthaya.

Wat Maha That

Our next stop was Wat Maha That, built in 1374. Today, this massive temple is a shell of its former self, after Burmese armies sacked the temple. Across the temple complex, it will be common for you to see damaged Buddha statues. Being a larger complex, we spent more time here.

Wat Phra Si Sanphet

On the site of this temple in 1350, a grand palace used to be constructed. Later on, it was converted to a temple, and this temple was significant since it was the holiest temple in Ayutthaya when Ayutthaya used to be Siam’s capital. Again, being a shell of its former self, 3 prominent Chedis remain in the temple compound.

Wat Chaiwatthanaram

As the sun started to set, we made our way to Wat Chaiwatthanaram, which was a popular attraction, and a place that you have to be at when the sun sets. When we arrived there, there were already quite a number of tourists exploring the temple.

Overall, it was an awesome experience! If you’re thinking of escaping the busy life of Bangkok, Ayutthaya is just a train ride away!

For more photos, head over to my EyeEm!

To view the montage I made of Ayutthaya, click here!